Child&#39;s rocking-horse



4 1,6 7 643 Aug. 2,1927. c. HOFMAN'N l 3 Filed March 25. 1926 Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT ,.OFFICE.

GHED'S OCXING-HOBBI.

Application, lled Imh 25, 1986, Berhl `10.97A, and in Gl'eohollovakla il, mi.

This invention relates to a travelling rocking horse'which may be used for ordinary rocking as well as for alternate forward and backward travel.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: t

Fig. 1 is a front elevation;

Fig'. 2 a longitudinal section through the horsein rocking position;

y Fig. 3 is across section;

Fig. 4 a longitudinal section throu h the horse in the position in which it is a apted totravel forward,

Fig. `5 alongitudinal section in the position 1n which it is adapted to travel rearwards.

In the drawing 1 indicates the neckof the horse and its head, 2 the handle adapted tov be ped by the rider, 3 the breast-plate, 4 the sidbs of the body, 5 the rear part, 6 the tail, 7 the back serving as seat for the rider, 8 the front saddle support,'and 9 the rear saddle support.

The body of the horse is hollow and is open on the lower side and contains the de-.

tent and movement-producing mechanism. The two front legs 10 are secured to a cross bar 11, at each side of which a rocker 12 is fixed. In the upper part the froht legs 10, which are connected with one another by a rod 13 are suspended by means of a spindle 14, fixed in the sides 4 of the body.

The two hind legs 15 are fixed on a cross bar 16, which has at each end a rocker 17.

The hind pair of legs are, like kthe front pair, connected with one another b a rod 18 and are freely movable on a spind e 19 fixed in the sides 4 of the body.

The movement imparting and detent mechanism accommodated in the bodyl consists of the upper two bars 20 which are carried in bores in both ends of the two spindles 14 and 19. In the middle between the two bars 2O two locking levers 23 and 24 are freely susndedon bolts 21 and 22, secured in the ars 20, said locking levers, which are spread asunder by the action of a spring 25,

other hand, byy means of a pivoted arm 28 on the spindle 19. An extension 29 at the upper end of the detent lever 27 forms a hand e by means of which the detent lever 27 which is oscillatable on a sector 30 between the-abutments on said sector, and through this detent lever the detent element 26 can be moved backwards. By this displacement the locking hooks 23 and 24 are pressed away from or towards the rods 13 and 18 so that the front and hind pairs of ylegs are alternately locked or released for movement.

The foot supports or stirrups 31 are fixed each on a vertical arm 32 said arms, which are-fixed b means of screws 33 in the sides ofthe ybo y, being enlarged at the upper ends to form each an abutment for the legs. On each screw 33 a forkshaped blade spring 34 is fixed the free ends of which, pressing upon the two rods 13 and 18 of the front and hind pair of legs, cause the movement of the front legs in forward direction and the movement of the hind legs in rearward direction. e y The end walls of the body have felt covers 35. designed to deaden the noise caused by the legs striking against these end plates.

' The operation for making the rocking horse ready for rocking is as follows. The detent lever 27 and the detent element 26 connected with the same are brought into the central position by moving the handle 29 onto the centre of the segment 30. The locking hooks 23 and 24 are pressed asunder byl means of the spring 25, the lockinglevers adopt the position shown in Fig. 2 bearing against lthe ends of the dove-tailed recess in the element 26. The rods 13 and 18 of the front and hind legs will therefore, if atthe rocking movement the front and hind legs butt against the enlarged upper ends of the vertical pieces 32, engage with the notches of said lookin hooks so that both pairs of legs are locke against the vertical pieces 32. The front and the hind pairs of ylegs and the rockers of the same, remain locked in this position and the horse rocks back and forward on the spot Without moving along the floor.

To bring the mechanism into the position shown in Fig. 4 for Iforward travelling the operation is as follows The handle 29 ofthe detent lever 27 is depressed into theextreme position on` the segment 30, whereb the detent element 26 is shifted backwar so that the locking hook 23 is pushed awa from the rod 18 which connects the fron legs, scthat these front legs and their rockers arereleased and can oscillate in forward direction -under the ressure of the cresponding `arm of the glade spring 34. The locking hook for the hind legs is notaffected thereby so that these hind legs remain pressed onto the central piece 32.

If the horse is being rocked in forward direction it advances by a distan equal to the distance between the two rockers 12 and 17 and the lower ends of the rockers 12 of the front le will first come in contact with the floor w ereupon lthe hind art of the body is raised together with the ocked hind legs and their rockers. If the forwardly directed rocking movement continues the hind part of the body is oscillated through the action of the weight of the rider around A the spindle 19 and towards the front legs, until the vertical piece 32 comes in contact with the front legs and the front and rear rockers stand close together, the springs 34 being compressed and put under tension'.

At the subsequent rearward swing the legs and rockers remain close together until the front rockers 12 have ado ted the position in which they can lift off t e floor. At this moment the front legs are again moved lforward under the pressure of the springs 34 and the same o ration is repeated as described above. he horse travels forward at one rocking movement by a distance equal to the distance between the front and rear rockers.

.To brin the horse into the position shown in 5i 5 for backward movement from the rocking position the operation is as follows The handle 29 of the detent lever 27 is pulled up so that it comes into contact with the upper abutment on se ent 30 whereby the detent element 26 is s ifted in forward direction and pushes the locking hook 24 away from the rod 18 connecting the hind legs, so that the hind legs to ether with their rockers are free and are us ed in rearward direction by the action o the s rings 34 and become freely movable. The ront legs are not affected thereb and remainv pressed against the vertica elements 32. At the r movement in rearward direction the horse 1s moved a distance equal to the distance between the two rockers 12 and 17. The lower ends of the rear rockers 17 come first into contact with the floor, the front part of the body being raised in the same swinging movement to ether with its lockedfront legs and their rbc ers. When the rearward swinging movement continues, the front part of the body yis oscillated 'by the action of the weight of the rider around the spindle 19 and pressed against the hind legs until the vertical piece 32 strikes against assaut these hind legs, so that the two rear and front' roskgs stand pigs! to ther, he sprin in com an ut un er teiisiogii. At thi subsequent forwliird rocking movement the legs and rockers remain close together until the rear rockers 17 have arrived at the point at which they can lift off the fioor. At thishmoment the hind legs are again forced backwards by the pressure of the spriiilgs 34 and the same operation is repeate he rocking horse moves therefore rearwards in one swing a distance equal to the distance between the front and rear rockers.

I claim: v

1. A travelling rockin horse comprising in -combination with the ollow body of the horse open in the lower surface, a spindle in the front part of said body, a pair of front legs givotally mounted at the front corner of t e up r end on said spindle, a rod connecting t e one with the other the legs of the front pair, a spindle in the rear part of said body, a 'r of hind l pivotally mounted at the nt corner 'o the upper end on said rear spindle, a rod rigidly connectinv the one with the otherthe two legs of the hind pair, rockers under said front legs, rockers under said-'hind le spreading springs fixed between the pairs of le s land acting upon said rods for, pushing t e front le and hind legs away Vfrom one another, loc 'n hooks oseillatably suspended on said spindles and having each a notch designed to receive said cross rods of the pairs of legs, a central vertical piece having a large to end inst which said legs ii-e pressed wien sai rods are caught by said locking levers, and a horizontal detent element' for holding said locking hooks in the lockingl tion.

2. A travelling rocking horse comprising in combination with the ollow body of the horse open in the lower surface, a -spindle in the front `part of said body, a pair of front legs lpivotally mounted at the front corner o t e upper end on said spindle, a rod connecting t e one with the other the legs of the front pair, a spindle in the rear part of said body, a pair of hind legspivotally mounted at the front corner of the upper end on said rear spindle, a rod rigidly connecting the one wit the other the two legs of the hind pair, rockers under said front legs, rockers under said hind legs, spreading springs fixed between the pairs of legs and acting upon said rods for pushing the front legs and hind legs away from one another, locki hooks oscillatably suspended on saidv spindles and having each a notch designed to receive said cross rods of lll the pairs of legs, a central vertical piece having a largeend which said legs are pressed w n sai rods are caught by said locking levers, a horiaontal detentelement forward or backward to release the corresponding pair of legs which are then moved forward or backward by the action of said spreading springs and the rocking 10 horse in rocking moves forward or backward.`

In testimony whereof I name to this specification.

CONRAD HOFMANN.

have signed my 

